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Metro Atlanta is a premierdestination for business professionalsand families. The area is home to5.7 million people and more than160,000 businesses. Metro Atlanta’sdiverse economy, global access,abundant talent, low costs of businessand living, and vibrant quality of lifephotos: Georgia Department of Economic Developmentare reasons to choose metro Atlanta.1837 As the site for thesouthern terminus of thestate-owned Western &Atlantic Railroad, Atlantabegan as a town called“Terminus.”1847 Atlanta wasincorporated as a city.1864 Atlanta, a strategictransportation center duringthe Civil War, was reducedto ashes after GeneralSherman’s victory in theBattle of Atlanta.1886 Atlanta pharmacistDr. John S. Pembertoncreated the beveragethat became “Coca-Cola.”1914 The FederalReserve Bank establisheda branch in Atlanta.1925 Mayor Walter A. Simssigned a lease on an abandonedauto racetrack and committedthe city to developing it into anairfield named Candler Field.Four years later, it becameAtlanta Municipal Airport.

DemographicsThe Atlanta Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the business capital of the southeastern U.S.and a global business hub. Metro Atlanta is one of the fastest growing metros in the U.S. and hasthe 10th largest economy in the U.S. as measured by Gross Metro Product (GMP).The Southeast’s population is 82.2 million and its economy is the largest of all U.S. regions. GrossDomestic Product (GDP) in the Southeast measured 3.8 trillion in 2015. Only two foreign countrieshave a greater GDP than the U.S. Southeast – China and Japan.SnapshotAtlanta MSA(29 Counties)City of Atlanta5,710,795463,87836.133.8% of population 25 and over with a37.0%Bachelor’s degree or higher (2015 Est.)48.3%Population (2015 Est.)Median Age (2015 Est.)% of population foreign-born (2015 Est.)Labor Force (2015 Est.)Median Household Income (2015 Est.)World Ranking of Global Gross DomesticProduct (GDP) in Billions of U.S. Dollars, 2015Rank LocationGDP1U.S.A. 17,9472China 10,8663Japan 4,123Southeast U.S.A. 3,8174Germany 3,3565United Kingdom 2,84910Canada 1,55015Mexico 1,14420Saudi Arabia 646State of Georgia, U.S.A. 49625Belgium 45430Venezuela 371Metro Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. 339Malaysia 296351936 “Gone WithThe Wind” by MargaretMitchell was published.The Pulitzer Prize-winningnovel became the moviethree years later.1941 Delta Air Linesrelocated its headquartersfrom Monroe, La.,to Atlanta.1946 The CommunicableDisease Center (CDC) wasestablished in Atlanta.It is now known as theCenters for Disease Controland Prevention.13.8%6.9%2,836,322233,306 60,219 50,210Metropolitan Area 8 ,723 square miles 2 2,592 square kilometers 2 9 countiesNorth CarolinaTennesseeSouth CarolinaATLANTAAlabamaGeorgiaPort of SavannahATLANTIC OCEANFlorida1950 The ConfederateMemorial carvingwas completed onStone Mountain.1964 Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr., a native Atlantan,won the Nobel Peace Prize.1971 The airport’s namechanged to William B.Hartsfield AtlantaInternational Airport.

Metro Atlanta has the lowest relative cost of doing businessamong the nation’s 10 largest metro areas.photos: Georgia Department of Economic Development(KPMG, Competitive Alternatives: Guide to International Business Location Costs, 2016)1974 Atlanta Brave HankAaron broke Babe Ruth’shome run record with his715th home run.1975 R.E. “Ted” Turner’sTurner Broadcasting System(TBS) went on the air. Today,the award-winning cablestations CNN, TNT and TheCartoon Network are basedin Atlanta.1978 The Home Depot,another home-grownsuccess story, wasfounded in Atlanta.1982 Georgia-Pacificmoved its headquarters toAtlanta from Portland, Ore.1991 United ParcelService (UPS) relocatedits headquarters fromGreenwich, Conn. tometro Atlanta.1996 Atlanta hosted theCentennial Olympic Games,the first time the SummerGames were held in theeastern U.S.

Government A tlanta is the capital city of Georgia. The Capitol Dome brightens Atlanta’s skyline and is layeredin 43 ounces of pure gold mined in Dahlonega, Georgia, the site of America’s first “Gold Rush.” T he City of Atlanta is governed by a mayor and a 15-member city council that is managed bythe council president. T he 29 counties that make up metro Atlanta are individually governed by boards ofcommissioners, city councils and mayors. A tlanta’s symbol is the Phoenix, the legendary bird of Egyptian mythology, which representsAtlanta’s rise from the ashes of the Civil War. The seal of the city bears the Phoenix and theLatin term, “Resurgens,” which means “rising again.”Taxes Georgia’s corporate income tax rate is six percent (single factor sales tax apportionment). Georgia’s sales tax base rate is four percent. Counties may add one to three percent as a localoption. The City of Atlanta/Fulton County adds four percent as a local option. Georgia’s individual income tax rate is a graduated tax based on an individual’s federal adjustedgross income. The tax rate ranges from one to six percent based on six income brackets. P roperty tax rates (millage rates) are set locally by each county and city. Real and personalproperty are assessed at 40 percent of fair market value.Quality of LifeMetro Atlanta provides exceptional quality of life while maintainingaffordability. Residents enjoy access to arts, culture, sports andnightlife. Metro Atlanta experiences all four seasons with coolwinters, warm summers and adequate rainfall.Metro AtlantaMaintains a LowCost of Living240Cost of Living Index: Select U.S. 09.41008098.098.098.5Atlanta, GADallas, TXU.S. average: 100Miami, FLChicago, ILBoston, MAWashington, D.C.San Francisco, CANew York , NY*Source: C2ER Cost of Living Index, Q2, 2016 *New York values are for Manhattan2000s Metro Atlanta’spopulation increased morethan 1 million people from2000-2010.2003 The airport’sname changed toHartsfield-JacksonAtlanta InternationalAirport.2009 NCR and First Datarelocated their headquartersto metro Atlanta, increasingthe area’s FORTUNE 500headquarters.2010 GE Digital Energy’sSmart Grid TechnologyCenter of Excellencewas established inmetro Atlanta.2015 Hartsfield-JacksonAtlanta InternationalAirport had a recordbreaking year serving100 million passengers.2016 Sixteen metroAtlanta-based companiesranked in the FORTUNE 500.

photo: Georgia Department of Economic Developmentphoto: Georgia Department of Economic DevelopmentGeorgia ranks as the #1 state forworkforce development program.(Area Development, 2016)photo: Georgia Department of Economic Development

EducationPre-K thru 12More than 940,000 students are served through metro Atlanta’s 37 public school systemsthat include 1,150 elementary, middle and high schools. Metro Atlanta is also home toapproximately 400 private schools. M etro Atlanta has several international schools that teach in languages other than English,including: German, Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. English-as-a-Second Language courses are available in every public school district. S everal schools provide programming in International Baccalaureate (IB) and AdvancedPlacement (AP). Georgia offers free Pre-K classes for four-year-old children throughout the state.Higher EducationWith more than 275,000 students enrolled in 70 higher education institutions, metro Atlanta’scolleges and universities fuel businesses with talent, discovery and innovation. Popular fields ofstudy include business and economics, computer science, communications, mathematics &statistics, engineering and physics. With more than 42,000 degrees annually, metro Atlanta ranks #7 for degrees conferred. Metro Atlanta leads the nation in growth of enrolled African-American students. The region excels at graduating engineers with the third highest number of bachelor’s degreesawarded in the nation. The Georgia Institute of Technology leads the nation in the number of engineering bachelor’sdegrees awarded (excluding computer science). Our strength in engineering, coupled with being the fourth fastest-growing metro fortechnology degrees awarded, sets the metro Atlanta region as a national leader for innovation. Metro Atlanta ranks fifth in the nation for university R&D. Our higher education system hasgrown research and development expenditures to 1.49 billion – a 46 percent increase in five years. The largest public universities within metro Atlanta are Georgia State University (GSU),Kennesaw State University (KSU) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Privateuniversities in metro Atlanta include Emory University and Mercer University, among others. Metro Atlanta is home to the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Consortium, the world’s oldestand largest association of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The AUCis comprised of four member institutions – Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College,Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College. Metro Atlanta is home to the main campuses of seven technical colleges, which enroll morethan 35,000 students a year. They are a vital workforce training and retooling resource for thelocal business communities. Atlanta Technical College is among the top community colleges in the nation. T uition assistance through the HOPE Grant program is available to Georgia residents attendingtechnical colleges in Georgia.

2016 FORTUNE 500 Headquarters (16)2016 FORTUNE 1000 Headquarters (9)Source: FORTUNE magazine, June 6, 2016

Business and IndustryMetro Atlanta is recognized as an international gateway and the economic engine of the Southeast. As the largest economy of all metros in the region, metro Atlanta offers diverse businessesand services. Home to 25 of America’s largest corporations (FORTUNE 1000) and 220 of the nation’s fastestgrowing private companies (Inc. 5000), metro Atlanta is a premier location for headquarters.Metro Atlanta is also a leading headquarters location for food franchises, business services,and nonprofits. Metro Atlanta is a thriving ecosystem for entrepreneurs and new businesses. In 2015, Atlantawas named one of four international cities recognized as startup “hotbeds” by Inc. magazine.There is an abundance of creative energy, talent and entrepreneurial spirit in metro Atlanta.Many companies choose metro Atlanta to locate their innovation centers. A business-friendly environment and low cost of doing business are key elements for growthand opportunity in the metro Atlanta region. Site Selection named Georgia the #1 state forbusiness climate in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Area Development ranked Georgia the #1state for doing business in 2014, 2015 and 2016. KPMG indexed Atlanta with the lowestrelative cost of doing business of the nation’s ten largest metro areas in 2016.Targeted IndustriesTechnology World-class technology community – from startups to FORTUNE 500 companies Headquarters of technology leaders including AT&T Mobility, NCR, Global Payments,First Data, SecureWorks, among others Home to the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) – one of 12 businessincubators changing the world, according to Forbes Strengths in mobile technologies, financial transactions processing, Internet security,software development, digital media and contentBioscience & Health IT More than 2,000 bioscience companies have establishments in Georgia, according toTEConomy/BIO Nation’s health IT capital Center for global health with the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC), American Cancer Society, Arthritis Foundation, Task Force for Global Health Strengths in medical device, vaccine R&D and clinical trialsSupply Chain & Advanced Manufacturing Global logistics hub for the Southeast with extensive intermodal network of air, road, rail and port 5th in the nation for transportation and logistics employment 6th largest U.S. industrial real estate market Strengths in supply chain management software, distribution services, food processing,aerospace and automotive